MY wish list for my DXpedition at Daytona Beach - suggestions appreciated

[gar hi]

It looks like I'll finally be going to Daytona Beach probably this weekend or if not, the next to do my daytime DXing and I'll be staying over night which will give me plenty of time to search for stations in the afternoon unlike the last time when I had to turn back and leave soon after I got there.
I'm hoping the Terk loop may help too this time.

I've been looking at all the possible stations from South Carolina to Massachusetts and Puerto Rico too using the AM logbook and the signal pattern maps from the FCC listings.

Many of these, I probably won't be able to get, especially if Florida stations on the same frequencies are too strong, as was the case last time with WORL on 660 and WONQ on 1030.

However, many of these frequencies also have nothing listed anywhere near enough to cause interference problems.


Here's the list I've made of hopefuls. ( a "!" after the station means there could be possible intereference problems with stations on the same frequency in Florida )

550 WPAB Ponce, PR (has to travel on about 40 mi of land but it's a low frequency too) !

580 WKAQ San Juan, PR !

630 WPRO Providence, RI

680 WAPA San Juan, PR

710 WKJB Mayaguez, PR (WAQI Miami has a null this way)

850 WABA Auguadilla, PR

880 WCBS New York, NY ! (WZAB makes it all the way up to Daytona Beach)

960 WRNS Kingston, NC

1040 WZNA Moca, PR

1050 WVXY Norfolk, Va

1100 WHLI Hempstead, NY

1250 WTMA Charleston, SC

1280 WCMN Arceibo, PR

1290 WJNO Jacksonville, NC

1320 WSKN San Juan, PR !

1370 WIVV Viegres, PR !

1390 WSPO Charleston, SC

1420 WBSM New Bedford, Mass

1430 WNEL Caguas, PR !

1480 WMDD Fajardo, PR


Also, I know there have to be some stations out on Long Island that are at least 5kw non directional or more or maybe directional with a signal pattern that favors the SSW but I don't know how to find them. I've searched for Long Island radio stations but all I get are ones that are metro NYC. The AM logbook state listing has so many stations listed for the state of New York but I can't tell by names ones that may be on Long Island and I don't want to pass any by.

http://www.amlogbook.com/state/state.htm

I'd appreciate it if anyone knows of any good Long Island stations with the right signal patterns I could try for.

 

[MarioMania]

Have you ever gotton KCBS 740 from FL.??

 

[gar hi]

I've attempted to hear KCBS from here but the frequency is dominated by WYGM in Orlando and KTRH Houston to a lesser extent.

There's another much weaker station I can hear too on 740 in that direction but way too weak to ID. KCBS is directional favoring a NW SE pattern but I don't know if that's enough signal to make it this way to the ESE.

I've never gotten any San Francisco stations yet and KNBR would be the most possible because it's non directional.

I have gotten KFI from Los Angeles once here for a few minutes but never again. KNX Los Angeles pops in now and then on 1070 but most of the time it can't be heard.

 

[ddsparxx]

Two stations I could think of are WLIE 540 Islip, NY and WGBB 1240 Freeport, NY, both have transmitters on the southern side of the Long Island, according to the Radio Locator daytime maps.

 

[nd2023]

How about FMs from the northeast? Some DXers in NJ and MA have picked up Florida FM stations on tropo the past few days!

 

[gar hi]

Unlike AM, FM depends on the weather and unfortunately, it doesn't look like good conditions for any impressive FM reception on Saturday.

Here are the forecast maps.


http://www.dxinfocentre.com/tropo.html

Two stations I could think of are WLIE 540 Islip, NY and WGBB 1240 Freeport, NY, both have transmitters on the southern side of the Long Island, according to the Radio Locator daytime maps.

I didn't look at anything on 540 only beacuse 540 WFLF from Pine Hills is about 40 to 50 miles away.
I'll have to check out 1240 from Freeport again but last night, I went down the entire list of stations listed in New York state by searching the various names to see their location and there were no Long Island stations 5kw or more with daytime patterns that looked hopeful

 

[nd2023]

Are you going just to DX?

Makes me think that driving 20 minutes to the beach just to hear stronger tropo (and get a tan in the process) isn't so crazy.

 

[gar hi]

Yes, it's just to do my DXing, especially because I only got to spend not much more than a half hour there the last time. I was rushed to beat the notorious Orlando traffic and couldn't really concentrate much on what I was there for. I'm not a beach/nightlife kind of person.

Nothing crazy about going places just for DXing. I'm sure you've heard of these groups that make days long visits to good DXing spots and set up all their serious equipment in their hotel rooms or whereever they are staying. They often travel hundreds of miles too.

 

[Icangelp]

Bermuda. 1230, 1280, 1340, 1450, 1160...all 1 kw. I have no idea if Bermuda is remotely possible from the East coast of Florida, but there is nothing but water between you and them, and what the heck, Bermuda is only 1,000 miles away.

Doesn't sound like you will be there and on the beach at night, but...

If you were able to do some night time DX on the beach, here are some suggestions.

Why not throw caution to the wind and switch to 9khz separation?

Azores on 693 might be tough what with 690 in your backyard, but maybe you could hear the Canary Islands in Spanish on 621, 747, 837. Spain is on 531, 729, 738, 864, 873, 936, 999, 1098, 1107, 1125, 1413.

Have a good time. Report back.

 

[drt]

Bermuda. 1230, 1280, 1340, 1450, 1160...all 1 kw. I have no idea if Bermuda is remotely possible from the East coast of Florida, but there is nothing but water between you and them, and what the heck, Bermuda is only 1,000 miles away.

Doesn't sound like you will be there and on the beach at night, but...

If you were able to do some night time DX on the beach, here are some suggestions.

Why not throw caution to the wind and switch to 9khz separation?

Azores on 693 might be tough what with 690 in your backyard, but maybe you could hear the Canary Islands in Spanish on 621, 747, 837. Spain is on 531, 729, 738, 864, 873, 936, 999, 1098, 1107, 1125, 1413.

Have a good time. Report back.

The local 1340 and 1450 in Daytona Beach, may play havoc with catching Bermuda; the 1230 a few miles south of Daytona Beach may not play as much havoc.

drt

 

[drt]

Another possible catch from Daytona Beach, is 810 from Freeport in the Bahamas. (assuming there's not much spillover from 800 in Palstka)

When I was in Mayport NAS for about 2 years (about 90 miles north of Daytona Beach) and right on the
Atlantic, (my car was usually parked about 300 feet from the Atlantic and sometimes I dx'd from the car radio), 630 from Savannah, 1290 from Savannah, 1250 WTMA from Charleston and 1440 and 1490 from Brunswick,Ga were regulars...... but go west into Jacksonville and those stations would disappear.

The 810 from Freeport comes in like a local on the beaches and even somewhat inland from Boca Raton to Vero Beach, so it's a possible catch; on that station, you may hear local obituaries, local news or oldies; live, local and varied programming.

Hopefully the 550 from Jacksonville won't come in too strong to keep you from getting some other stations on 550 (other than Cuba!)

drt

 

[cd637299]

Until 3 years ago from Daytona, 810 Freeport wouldn't be a problem...but there's an 810 in Orlando now. Unsure of its pattern in the day. 1540 Nassau could be there.

As far as Bermuda, it would definitely be a longshot, but 1160 which is BBC World Service would be the best bet, if the 1160 in St. Cloud could be nulled. 1280 is Bible Broadcasting Network....ahh but there's a 1280 in DeLand. 1340, 1450, 1230 with stations nearby....bzzzzzzzzzzz!

Gar, be sure to check 530.....RVC Turks & Caicos is running much less power now, but might still be a daytime catch there, as would be 530 Radio Enciclopedia in Cuba with instrumentals & a lady announcing between songs.

cd

 

[gar hi]

I forgot about 530 from the Turks and Caicos. Here in Tampa, Radio Enciclopedia is strong all day. I wonder if all the land between where that originates and Daytona Beach will make it hard or impossible to hear so I'm able to hear the one from the Turks and Caicos.

Bermuda. 1230, 1280, 1340, 1450, 1160...all 1 kw. I have no idea if Bermuda is remotely possible from the East coast of Florida, but there is nothing but water between you and them, and what the heck, Bermuda is only 1,000 miles away.

Doesn't sound like you will be there and on the beach at night, but...

If you were able to do some night time DX on the beach, here are some suggestions.

Why not throw caution to the wind and switch to 9khz separation?

Azores on 693 might be tough what with 690 in your backyard, but maybe you could hear the Canary Islands in Spanish on 621, 747, 837. Spain is on 531, 729, 738, 864, 873, 936, 999, 1098, 1107, 1125, 1413.

Have a good time. Report back.

Thanks for all those suggestions! It's like everyone read my mind.

And yes, I was planning to do nighttime DXing too, as my hotel room has a balcony right on the first floor, right on the beach.

I was wondering about stations from Europe and Bermuda.

I also wanted to see how different nighttime reception is for the New York stations there because the last time I was on the east coast of Florida at night more than 20 years ago, I remember how the big NY stations were much stronger than they are here on the west coast.

Thanks again for the suggestions.

 

[Icangelp]

Gar, be sure to check 530.....RVC Turks & Caicos is running much less power now, but might still be a daytime catch there, as would be 530 Radio Enciclopedia in Cuba with instrumentals & a lady announcing between songs.

cd

Thanks for the info. I wondered what happened to the T & C station.

RVC used to be a nightly occurance, but now it is Cuba with a much stronger signal, though our airport has a National Weather Service transmitter on 530 which sometimes has to be nulled.

 

[KE4KLS_Radio]

Used to live near Daytona Beach, a couple to try when over there:
WVIE 1370 Pikesville, MD, is 50,000 watts directional south over water towards FL, good to try during late p.m. or critical hours. WAGL 1560 Lancaster, SC is another one (daytimer), WWOL 780 Forest City, NC, WLWL 770 Rockingham, NC are some others to check.
As for trying to get Bermuda on 1230, WSBB covers the coast in that area. Never was able to get Bermuda when I lived there, too many US stations on their freq's... However, in the early evening you may hear some TA hets, couple of times was able to hear 1521 in Saudi Arabia. As for the Caribbean, try 555 St. Kitts in the evening.

Good luck and post your results...

Bill

 

[gar hi]

Well, I'm at Daytona Beach and in the hotel.

Though I didn't get any actual IDs from the list I posted, there were was one station in the background of a close radio Disney station on 600 where they were speaking Spanish and even my girlfriend who's with me (she's Puerto Rican) said the dialect was definitely Ruerto Rican. That probably was WYEL from Mayaguez. Also, I heard Spanish music on 1430 which could be WNEL from Caguas.

The loop antenna may have made a difference in hearing a little better signal on 880 of the station I thought may have been WCBS in the background of WZAB the last time I was here. It sounded like talk. On 660, I also think I could hear another station during the lulls of talking on WORL.

I shot a lot of video and will sort through them all and have some to show in a day or two. Going to relax for the rest of the night and enjoy the little mimi vacation.

Here's a view from our hotel room right on the beach.

http://i43.tinypic.com/wtanps.jpg

 

[MarioMania]

I once got Vancouver on 730 when they were LG73, it was weak, I had to turn the Radio the right way cuz KCBS was in the way, but I could ID it..

 

[gar hi]

Now that it's night, I did a quick listen to my radio inside the hotel room and, wow, WCBS, WABC, and WFAN are booming in loud as can be.

It's like I'm on one of the New Jersey beaches, not down on a Florida beach.

No fading either and no foreign interference. Interesting.

 

[radioman148]

Now that it's night, I did a quick listen to my radio inside the hotel room and, wow, WCBS, WABC, and WFAN are booming in loud as can be.

It's like I'm on one of the New Jersey beaches, not down on a Florida beach.

No fading either and no foreign interference. Interesting.

Any other NYC's like WINS, WBBR, etc? How about midwest/ Chicago? I imagine with all the caribbean interference it will be tough to hear WBBM or WLS or the other midwesterners. I'm particularly interested if you get anything from the northeast during the day.

 

[MarioMania]

Is it best to Listen outside or inside??